APMA News - October 2012 - (Page 40)

APMA by the Decade: 1992–2001 Throughout 2012, APMA’s publications will celebrate the rich heritage of the podiatric medical profession and its professional organization. Each month in APMA News, we will focus on one decade of APMA’s history. I n the 1990s, APMA placed an increased emphasis on and dedicated tremendous resources to the effort to ensure parity for podiatric physicians in hospitals and with insurers. One of the first steps in this process was to define the scope of practice for podiatric medicine. The new definition replaced “leg” with “ankle” and is still in use today: Podiatric medicine is that profession of the health sciences concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the human foot, ankle, and their governing and related structures, including the local manifestations of systemic conditions, by all appropriate systems and means. With a well-defined scope of practice, APMA set out to gain recognition from private and public payers for podiatrists as providing service on par with other physicians. Testifying before the Congressional Physician Payment Review Commission, APMA recommended to federal legislators that podiatric physicians “should be paid under the Medicare Fee Schedule, using the same relative values and conversion factors as applied to doctors of medicine and osteopathy.” During this decade, APMA stepped up its public relations efforts to counter managed care initiatives that negatively affected podiatric medical practices. Another step toward parity with MDs and DOs came through a rigorous review and revamping of podiatric education. In 1992, the House of Delegates acknowledged it was no longer practical to claim a four-year DPM program prepared graduates to practice and that postgraduate education in the form of a residency should be mandatory. The House of Delegates instructed CPME to modify its accreditation standards to reflect this reality. Further changes to the way APMA approached education came as a result of new standards set forth by the US Department of Education. To be recognized, any professional accrediting body had to have complete autonomy to set its own budget, elect members, and establish policy. As it turned out, CPME would be the first professional accrediting agency to which these new regulations would apply. In 1994, the House of Delegates began the process of divesting CPME from APMA so it would have complete operating independence. The transition was so successful that the Department of Edu- At the 2000 annual meeting in Philadelphia, representatives of the profession from the United Kingdom gather with APMA leadership. From left: Donald Lorimer, past chair, Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists; Dr. and Mrs. Ronald S. Lepow; Pamela Sabine, chair, Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists; Hilary De Lyon, chief executive, Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists; Peter D. Graham, incoming chair, Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists; and Dr. and Mrs. Glenn B. Gastwirth. cation would cite it as a model for other organizations to use going forward. As advances in technology in the 1990s began to shrink the globe, APMA responded by formalizing relationships with several international organizations, including the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists in the United Kingdom, the Canadian Podiatric Medical Association, and the Australian Podiatry Council. The international friendship protocol APMA signed with each of these organizations still is in effect today. In 1998, the current staff leadership of APMA was established when Glenn Gastwirth, DPM, was appointed as the seventh executive director of the organization. Dr. Gastwirth brought back Jay Levrio, PhD, to serve as deputy executive director (Dr. Levrio had departed APMA the previous year). Both continue to hold the same positions today. Watch for APMA by the Decade: 2002–2012 in the November/December issue of APMA News as our 100-year review of the organization’s history comes to a close. n 40 APMA News October 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of APMA News - October 2012

APMA News - October 2012
President’s Message
Contents
The National Celebrates 100 Years Advancing Podiatric Medicine
Annual Scientific Meeting Sponsors
Annual Scientific Meeting Registration Form
National Residency Facilitation Project: How Are We Doing?
In Memoriam: Irvin O. Kanat, DPM
ICD-10-CM Effective Date is October 1, 2014
REdRC Subscription Fee Waived for 2012–2013 Residency Year
2012 Podiatric Practice Survey: Benefi ts Received by Respondents
APMA By the Decade: 1992–2001
Reimbursement
Federal Advocacy Forum
List of Cosponsors to the Equity and Access for Podiatric Physicians Under Medicaid Act
APMAPAC Chair Report
IT Consultant
Website Wisdom
Small Business 101
APMA All Stars
In Short
Resolutions Deadlines
Worthy of Note
Affiliates Corner
CPME Invitation for Comments
List of Affiliated Organizations
Insurance Advisor
Member Affinity Programs
New Members
Death Notices
APMAPAC Update
Development Update
Classified Advertising
Dates to Remember
Advertising Index
10 Questions
Your APMA

APMA News - October 2012